A/N: I envision that this will either be a chapter in a longer fic, or that there will be a series of short fics focusing on this vision of the characters. This is set where we are right now (just after the events of s6 x 08), and I'll be writing more as season 6 progresses.

Regina sat in a booth at Granny's, warming her hands on her coffee mug and watching little ripples break the surface tension on the black liquid within. Her mind was a thousand miles away, dwelling on what was happening…what had just happened. She didn't know who she was anymore; it felt as though she was just going through the motions of life, her fire and passion had gone with her "evil" half.

It wasn't as though she couldn't be provoked into feeling. The queen had proven that often enough, but the rest of the time Regina felt empty. Only Henry kept her from sinking into a black pit of nothingness, a welcome oblivion.

She never should have listened to Snow. That's all there was to it. Regina had known deep down that she would always have to suffer, but she allowed the pixie-haired woman to give her hope for something better. And didn't that always turn out well for her? She snorted softly at the thought. One would think that she would have learned long ago not to trust hope. Hope only led to disappointment.

Regina took a sip of coffee. It was strong and bitter, words that could have been used to describe her once. Now she didn't know what words applied. Soft? Weak? Useless? She sighed deeply, not conscious of the way her shoulders slumped a little and her head drooped forward as the breath left her. Maybe she should go to see Archie. She didn't have much faith in psychobabble, especially from a cricket who'd gotten his psychology degree from a magical curse, but talking it through with someone who wasn't part of her cobbled-together family might lend some fresh perspective. Archie would still sugar coat things more than she liked, but his heart wouldn't rule his head where she was concerned.

She'd almost convinced herself to drop by his office, when a hand settled on her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. She managed not to jump out of her skin, but it was a close thing. Looking up to see to whom the hand belonged, she found Snow smiling down at her. "Evening, Regina. Mind if I join you?"

"It's a free country."

"Well that's a less than enthusiastic welcome," Snow smiled at her as she slid into the other side of the booth. "I guess I shouldn't ask how you're holding up."

"I'm fine," Regina straightened her shoulders, taking another drink of coffee to keep from meeting Snow's eyes.

"You do realize you're not fooling me, right?"

Regina sighed and finally looked at the other woman. "What do you want from me, Snow?"

"Why must you assume that I want anything? News flash: I care about you and I wanted to make sure you're okay."

There was a pregnant pause, in which Regina's natural instinct was to again tell the younger woman that she was fine and ask her to go away. As much as she wanted to say the words, they wouldn't come. Instead she heard herself saying, in a small voice that she hated herself for, "I'm not okay."

A soft hand reached across the table and claimed one of hers, again giving a gentle squeeze. Snow's hands were always so warm, and Regina's magic responded to the flow of goodness that lay just under the surface. She felt herself longing to melt into that calm, loving energy, even as her instincts rebelled against such a thing.

"Do you want to go somewhere and talk?" Snow's eyes shifted to regard the rest of the diner's patrons. "Somewhere more private?"

Regina nodded, not trusting her voice just then to form a response. Snow gave her hand a last squeeze before letting go so that Regina could find payment for the coffee and drop it on the table. Then Regina stood, slipping into her overcoat and grabbing her purse. Once on the street outside, Snow reclaimed her hand and started walking, seemingly in a random direction.

It still surprised Regina how natural the action felt, how right it seemed to be walking with Snow, their hands linked together. "How's David?" she found herself asking.

"The same, I guess. He didn't leave a note this morning. Just a rose on the counter. You'll have to ask him later, when he's awake."

"I'm sorry."

"I know." Snow's voice was so soft and full of pain that Regina almost couldn't hear her. She stopped walking, pulling Snow toward her and wrapping the other woman in her arms. Snow instinctively snuggled her head under Regina's chin, as she had when she was a girl, and a quiet sob escaped, breaking Regina's heart a little more.

"We'll fix this," she whispered, rubbing Snow's back, hoping to give what comfort she could.

"Will we? I'm not so sure any more."

"This from the woman with the inexhaustible supply of hope?" Regina teased gently, desperate to make Snow laugh. It worked, after a fashion, as Snow sob-laughed against her chest. Regina gave in to the urge to kiss the top of Snow's head and Snow clung more tightly to her.

Regina had to admit that things were bleak. Nothing had worked to break the curse, the evil queen was running amok, Gold was still being his horrible self, and Emma was convinced she was marching toward a death sentence. Regina was pretty sure she was marching toward a death sentence as well, though she kept trying not to think about it. They could still find another way to deal with the queen. Perhaps.

"Come on, I'll walk you home." Evening would soon pass into night and Snow would kiss Charming for his shift in the waking world.

"I don't want to go home."

"No?"

"I'm tired, Regina. Tired of not being able to look in his eyes, tired of lying next to someone who is warm and breathing, but who can't hold me."

And Regina could feel that, couldn't she? Snow was clearly starved for physical affection, a state of mind that she understood far too well. At least she'd had a lifetime to build up protective walls. Snow didn't have that luxury.

Making a quick decision, Regina raised her hand and purple smoke swirled around them; her magic transporting them to her bedroom in the blink of an eye. Snow pulled her head back from its resting place and she looked askance at Regina.

"You didn't want to go home," Regina replied to the unspoken question with a half-smile, "and I was starting to feel self-conscious about hugging you in the middle of the sidewalk."

"Regina…"

"The offer to take you to your home still stands, if you'd rather not be in mine." She extricated herself from Snow's embrace so that she could slip off her coat and hang it over the back of the chair by the dressing table.

"It's not that."

"What is it then?"

Regina slipped out of her heels, unable to keep from uttering a happy sigh when her feet settled flat on the floor, and turned to regard Snow. The younger woman was blushing furiously and Regina felt her own eyebrow creeping upward. "I. Um." Her expansive gesture took in the room, including the bed, prompting Regina to scoff lightly.

"I'm not going to molest you, Dear, if that's what you're afraid of." The look that greeted her words was one of relief, though unless Regina was greatly mistaken, it covered a shimmer of disappointment. That was curious, but she resolved not to think about it just then. Moving back to Snow, she prompted the younger woman to take off her coat, then led her over to the bed.

"Sit," she commanded. Once Snow obeyed, her semi-reluctance at being there still shining through, Regina knelt to remove Snow's shoes and set them aside. Smiling up at the younger woman, she patted Snow's knee and then instructed her to lay back on the bed. Again, Snow complied and Regina rose to walk over to her side and settle in, facing Snow. To Regina's mild amusement, Snow's body had gone rather rigid. "I really don't bite, you know. Well, I do, but only when it's consensual."

That was apparently not what Snow wanted to hear, because she bolted upright. Regina's hand caught her sleeve, pulling her back down. "Relax, Snow. I was teasing. Come here." She opened her arms to Snow, who still resisted. Regina could see the battle raging in the other woman. "No agenda," she assured Snow quietly, "just comfort, if you want it."

It took a minute or two longer, but at last Snow settled down, facing her and just watched her eyes. "It's not you I'm worried about," Snow whispered, then dropped her gaze away.

Well that was quite the confession. Regina found her heart in her throat, a jumble of emotions beginning to war inside her. She couldn't quite ignore the heavy sensation of tension that settled between them, but she tried. For Snow's sake and her own. They were both far too emotional for their own good and there was years – no, decades – of baggage waiting to be unpacked.

Regina took a deep breath, then let it out before shifting closer. Snow watched her, expression guarded, but allowed herself to be pulled back into a hug. There was still obvious tension in her body, but she was breathing, which was good, and Regina sent out calm energy, as she would with a flighty horse.

It took a little while, but eventually Snow breathed out a sigh of her own and burrowed closer against her. Regina was reminded of the times Snow had sought her out for comfort when she was just a girl, Regina hating every moment but hiding it deep behind a façade of false care. This was much nicer, sharing physical intimacy without having to work to maintain the dam that held back a river of negative emotions. Besides, it made Regina feel useful. Her usefulness had become a foreign concept of late, and she relished the sensation.

"Regina?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

A smile settled on her lips, and she responded by rubbing between Snow's shoulder blades. "You're welcome, Dear."

Regina had to swallow a groan when a soft kiss landed on the base of her throat, her body wanting her to respond in kind, but her mind keeping the desire firmly in check. "Careful with that," she warned, her voice soft and husky, and her fingers brushed through the short hairs at the back of Snow's neck. Snow shivered and emitted a strangled little sound. Okay, maybe not so firmly in check as Regina thought.

"You're not helping!" The words vibrated against her skin and she stilled the movement of her fingers at once.

"Well, you started it."

There was a moment of utter stillness, then she was laughing, and Snow was laughing too. The electricity that had been building between them faded away with their laughter, replaced by a simple ease with each other. A sense of relief washed through the older woman. With everything else going on, neither of them needed to deal with the fallout of giving in to desire. They would eventually have to talk about their complicated feelings for one another, but this was not the time.

If Regina truly did have to die to rid the world of the evil queen, it would become a moot point anyway. That was a sobering, if depressing thought. Snow must have caught her shift in mood because it was her turn to give Regina's back a comforting pat. "We've still got each other."

"Yes, we do."

And that was what mattered, wasn't it? No matter what the future threw at them, they were family. Even if they lost a battle, or several, love would eventually conquer evil. They just had to keep finding the strength to continue fighting. The woman in her arms was worth fighting for, and Snow had proven time and again that she felt the same way.

Quiet reigned for a long time then as each woman lay, lost in her own thoughts. Snow's breathing was slow, but Regina knew she hadn't drifted to sleep. Hell, Reginia didn't even know if the other woman could sleep without kissing Charming and taking on that part of the curse. She could have asked, but it wasn't worth disturbing the serenity. So, she remained silent until at last, Snow stirred.

"Need to use the bathroom."

Regina chuckled. "Be my guest."

She let Snow extricate herself from Regina's arms and watched as she crossed the room to the master bath, then watched the closed door for a minute longer. Then she rolled onto her back and glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand. It was getting late. As much as she relished these stolen hours alone with Snow, she knew it was time for it to end.

When the younger woman emerged once more, Regina was on her feet, stepping back into her shoes. "It's time to get you home."

"Yeah," Snow sighed and moved to put her shoes on as well, "I guess it is."

Regina waited for her, patiently holding her coat and helping her slip it on when she was ready. Since she was going to transport Snow home using magic, she didn't bother with her own. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

The magic swirled around them and next thing they knew, the two women were standing in Snow's kitchen. The light over the sink was the only light on in the room, and Snow moved to flip the switch for the main overhead lights. Regina blinked at the sudden brightness and then offered Snow a brief smile. "I trust that you'll be okay?"

Snow nodded. "I'll be asleep, so…" Her voice trailed off.

"See you tomorrow." Regina leaned in to press a kiss on Snow's cheek, then gave her upper arm a squeeze.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

With a last smile, Regina poofed back to her bedroom, hating that she had to leave Snow alone, but knowing that she must. And she wouldn't really be alone, would she? Charming would be there, watching over her as she slept. Regina took comfort in that as she prepared for bed, knowing that whatever happened, Snow would be all right.